Take-up mechanism for embroidery-machines.



I c. FARMER. TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR EMBROIDERY MACHINES.

7 APPLICATION FILED JULY 25.1913.

,2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1,139,958, Patented May18,1915.

mam.- r

THE NORKAS FE/EKS CO1. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. By C.

c. FARMER.

TAKE-UP MECHANlSM FOR EMBROIDERY MACHINES.

APPLIC'ATlON FILED JULY 25.19l3.

1,139,958. 1 Patented May 18, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTG-LITHO. WASHlNdmN, D. C

CHARLES ARMER, or NoTTiNGHAM, ENGLAND.

TAKE-UP MECHANI M. FOR EMBROIDERY-MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that'I, CHARLES'FARMER, a subject of the King ofjGreat Britain, and a resident of Nottingham, in England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Take-Up Mechanism for Embroidery-Machines, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to improvements in the needle thread take-up mechanism of em broidering machines, and its object is to overcome the difiiculties met with in such machines, which are due to the fact that instead of making a series of successive stitches all of the samelength as in an ordinary sewing machine, the stitches are of unequal length and constantly vary over a very wide range, in order to comply with the requirements at the different parts of the pattern which is being embroidered. 1 '7 Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 to 3 are diagrams illustrating the operationof end, and both are provided with devices to needle thread take-up mechanism constructed according to my invention, as applied to a singleneedle machine. Fig. 4 isv a vertical cross section, andFig. 5, aplan, showing myinvention applied to a multiple needle embroidering machine.-

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

According to the present invention the needle thread take-up mechanism in its simplest form, comprises a main lever a (see Figs. 1 to 3). which is pivoted to a fixed point at a, and a supplementary lever Z) which is pivoted to the free end a of the lever 41.

The inner end 12 of the supplementaryv b i'scoincident with the pivot 0 about which the main lever (1 turns. The outer end 19 of thelever b is the same length as the inner hold the thread, or holes through whichit may be passed.

The needle thread 7 is carried from a constant thread tension device 9 of any well Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented May 18,1915;

Applioationfiledlfu1y25,1913. seriauvol'vsmoi. Y

known construction, through the'hole b the inner end 5 of the lever b, thenthrough the hole 6 at the reverse end 6 and fr0m thence to theneedle h' as shown. In passingalong 'the lever b'from one end to the otherthe thread f bears on thehub b of the lever, 1

and it may be loopedlaround the hub if de- I Y sired.

T he main lever .a is oscillatedabout its" plvot a by any approved. means, and when unafi'ectedby the needle thread f,the sup- 7 0 of the main lever a from) the position shown inFig; 1'. to that shown inFig'.-; 2. as

the needle descends in order to give sufiicient turns'with the needle to its original position in order to take up theth'read again. If a stitch ismade however and the" needle thread I f is shortened, the outer end?) of the'sup plementary lever 12 is checked before it reaches its first position again, as shown in Fig. 3. and as a result of the continued movement of the main lever a, thesupplementary lever b is turned about its own pivot a and its inner end 72 is moved away from the stop d against the action of the spring 6. This movement of the inner end 6 of the lever 6, draws the same length-of needle thread f from the tension device 9 that-has been used up in making the stitch. On the downward movement of the main lever 0 again to make the next stitch, the

supplmentary lever b is first releasedby the slackening of'theithread f, and the spring 6 then returns the lever b to its normal position again. At the same time the amount of thread drawn off from the tension device passes forward to the other side of the lever Z) while the said thread is slack, and the original conditions are thus restored every stitch. The mechanism strain and friction on thethread f becauseit onlymoves relatively to the take-up lever described reduces the;

70 thread to; make the stitch, and it then re r when it is slack, and it is not drawn through the end of the latter in the act of tightening the stitch.

In applying the invention to a multiple needle embroidering machine, in each section of the machine, two needle take-up rods J J (see Figs. 4 and 5.) are carried on the upper and lower ends respectively of two or more levers B, which are mounted on a shaft C, hereinafter termed the take-up shaft. One rod J is thus directly above and other J directly below the said shaft C, and owing to both arms of the levers being about the same length, the two bars J J move about it together through practically the same angular space.

The take-up shaft O is not mounted in fixed bearings, but it is carried so that it can be bodily reciprocated to and from the needles about a fixed point situated below it. For this purpose the said shaft C is as shown mounted in bearings in the upper ends of arms A which are pivoted at A (see Fig. 4;.) to the bearing brackets K on the front rail of the machine. The take-up shaft C is further connected by means of links C to arms L on a shaft L, mounted in the bearing brackets K and reciprocatory motion is imparted to the shaft G, by reciprocating this shaft L by any approved means.

The take-up shaft C is moved inward to give the thread to the needles H in making a stitch, and then moving outward to draw up and complete the stitch. When making such movements the lower take-up bar J when unafi'ected by the threads F, is heldcoincident with the pivots A of the arms A which carries the take-up shaft C, so that the whole of the movement is thus imparted to the upper bar J As shown in the drawings the lower bar J isretained in this position by means of a spring E which holds it up to a fiXed stop D.

At a point say between the lower take-up rod J and the needles H, are a series of constant thread tension devices G of any suit able construction, and the needle threads F are first carried from the cops or spools to these devices. They are then carried back again under the lower take-up bar J, then once around the take-up shaft C, then over i the upper take-up bar J and from thence to the needles H. V

The arrangement described acts in precisely the same manner as the single needle mechanism previously described. For eX- ample when the take-up shaft C is drawn back to take up the needle threads F after a stitch has been made, and the said threads have been consequently shortened between the constant tension devices G and the needles H to an extent corresponding to the length of the stitch made, the threads F will near the end of the take up movement check the upper take-up rod J and as a result the lower take-up rod J will be moved from the stop D against the action of the spring or springs E, a distance of which is equal to the amount the needle thread has been shortened. This movement of the lower take-up rod J will draw from the constant tension device G, the sameamount of thread which has been used up, and it thus follows that at every stitch, sufficient thread is drawn from the constant tension devices G to restore the original conditions again ready for making the next stitch.

In drawing the threads from the tension devices G, the lower take-up rod J is assisted by the angular movement imparted to the take-up shaft C, around which the threads F are passed. The action of the mechanism would be the same if the threads F were not passed around the take-up shaft C, but a better grip on the threads is obtained by so doing. The tension on the threads F, or the tightness of the stitches may be regulated, by adjusting the spring or springs E which hold the lower take-up rod up to the stop D, and in order that this may be conveniently altered, the said springs are connected to arms 0 on a shaft P mounted in bearings in the brackets K, so that by an angular movement of the said shaft P, the whole of the springs E may be simultaneously and conveniently adjusted.

What I claim as'my invention and desire to cover by Letters Patent is 1. In a take-up mechanism, the combina tion, with a pivoted main lever, of a supplementary lever having its middle portion pivoted to one end portion of the main lever and provided at each end with means for supporting the thread, and a spring and a stop which normally hold the supplemen tary lever substantially in parallel relation with the said end portion of the main lever and permit it to be moved pivotally out of parallel relation therewith in one direction.

2. In needle thread take-up mechanism of embroidering machines, the combination of two longitudinal thread take-up bars, a shaft, levers on said shaft for carrying the respective take-up bars, means for reciprocating the shaft bodily about a fixed point coincident with that in which one of the longitudinal bars is normally held, and means for returning the latter to its normal position again when moved therefrom, sub stantially as described.

3. In needle thread take-up mechanism of embroidering machines, the combination of two longitudinal thread take-up bars a shaft, arms on said shaft for carrying the respective take-up bars, means for reciprocating the shaft about a fixed point coincident with that in which one of the take-up bars is normally held, a stop up to which said bar is normally held, a spring for returning said In testimony whereof I'have' signed my bar to the stop when moved therefrom, and name to this specification in the presence of constant tension devices from which .the two subscribing witnesses. threads are carried first to the'bar coincident l CHARLES.

5 with the fixed point about which the shaft Witnesses:

moves and then over the other bar, substan- 'THos. H. COOK, tially as described. J. B. JAMSON;

,copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents;

1 Washington, D. G. I 

